I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 428

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 428
Min-guk, with his debut just around the corner, was beginning to exude the unmistakable aura of an entertainer.
He’d shed considerable weight, and with all the grooming and management, his face had become noticeably more refined than before.
Of course, even with all that, he still had a long way to go to catch up to me.
And right now, the nervousness was plainly written across his features.
“Min-guk, you brought the contract, right?”
“Yeah, hyung.”
Min-guk handed me an envelope containing the contract he’d drawn up with Jeon Tae-guk ages ago.
I pulled out the contract and examined it.
[Just as I thought….]
It was exactly as I remembered it.
The moment Min-guk’s idol group debuted, he would become an exclusive model for Samjeon Electronics!
My younger brother was inheriting the exclusive modeling contract with Samjeon Electronics that I had once held.
There had been plenty of talk at the time about it being an unfair contract.
But Samjeon Electronics would actually be grateful within just a few years.
Min-guk asked nervously.
“Hyung, but… will this really work? It’s legally binding, right?”
“We had a lawyer notarize it back then. It’s definitely legally binding.”
What remained uncertain was Samjeon’s reaction.
South Korea’s most formidable legal team could potentially find loopholes if they really tried.
I looked at Min-guk with a slightly tense expression.
“Min-guk, don’t be nervous.”
“Seems like you’re the one who’s nervous.”
The fact that he didn’t miss a beat even in this situation confirmed he was definitely my brother.
“Hyung, I’ll charm Tae-guk hyung with aegyo. You handle the logical argument. Got it?”
“Deal!”
Min-guk and I clasped our hands together.
* * *
Ding dong!
I pressed the doorbell of the neighboring apartment.
I was holding wine and beer in my hands, while Min-guk carried Father’s boiled pork.
The door opened, and Jeon Tae-guk poked his head out.
“Sung-guk, Min-guk. Come on in.”
Min-guk and I entered carefully.
“So you two brothers want to drink with me? What’s the occasion?”
Jeon Tae-guk clearly had no recollection whatsoever of that old contract he’d made back then.
“Sam and Adam are running late today.”
Since I needed to talk to Jeon Tae-guk first, I’d made Sam and Adam work overtime.
“Hyung, isn’t it difficult commuting to headquarters from Pangyo?”
“Not really… it’s not much different from when I was in Hannam-dong. There are a lot of young people here, so the surroundings are clean and it seems to suit me well.”
Min-guk quickly unwrapped Father’s bossam.
“Tae-guk hyung, our father’s bossam.”
“Your father’s bossam—it’s been ages. Sung-guk, you brought that drink to actually drink it, right?”
“Yeah.”
I quickly set the drink down.
Jeon Tae-guk hummed a tune as he brought out wine glasses.
Min-guk and I exchanged glances, both looking inexplicably tense as we took our seats.
First, I quickly poured wine for Jeon Tae-guk.
“Hyung, you’ll have wine, right?”
“Sure.”
Jeon Tae-guk used Father’s bossam as a side dish and downed the wine in one gulp.
“Your father’s bossam really is the best in South Korea. If Samjeon had just gone into the restaurant business, I could’ve brought it over and made a fortune.”
“Hyojin Group is already doing that.”
“That’s a shame.”
Min-guk held out an empty wine glass.
“Hyung, can I have a glass too?”
“Sure, our Min-guk is an adult now. Your debut is next month, right?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you appearing? Let me make some calls and get you some Samjeon commercials. Actually, should I just call the broadcasting station presidents myself?”
One glass of wine had put Jeon Tae-guk in high spirits.
[Alright, should we get started?]
I exchanged a glance with Min-guk and handed the prepared documents to Jeon Tae-guk.
“Sung-guk, what’s this?”
“Hyung, do you remember this?”
“Remember what?”
“Just take a look.”
Jeon Tae-guk hummed as he opened the document envelope.
He pulled out a contract and skimmed through it, then looked back and forth between Min-guk and me.
[What’s with that expression?]
It was an expression I couldn’t quite read.
That was when it happened.
Jeon Tae-guk shrugged and put the documents back in the envelope.
“Are you two really here to test me with this old contract?”
[It’s not a test so much as pressure, you could say.]
Jeon Tae-guk let out a low sigh and downed his wine in one gulp.
“Sigh… I’m disappointed.”
[Jeon Tae-guk, don’t ruin the mood. You need to honor the contract.]
Jeon Tae-guk stared directly at me.
“Sung-guk, did you really think I’d forgotten this contract?”
This wasn’t the Jeon Tae-guk I’d anticipated.
“Did you remember, hyung?”
“Of course. I was actually feeling sorry that our mother pressured the broadcasting station and Min-guk lost his debut stage opportunity. I was thinking about how I could help.”
“Hyung….”
Min-guk looked at Jeon Tae-guk with an moved expression.
“Sung-guk, Min-guk. I’m really disappointed. You think I’m someone who doesn’t keep promises? We even signed a contract.”
“Hyung, you could have told us beforehand. Before I said anything first.”
Jeon Tae-guk shrugged.
“I remembered recently too. While looking for ways to help Min-guk…. Anyway, don’t worry! I, Jeon Tae-guk, don’t go back on my word!”
* * *
The moment Jeon Tae-guk arrived at work, he summoned all the executives from Samjeon Electronics.
Then he handed over a photograph.
It was a photo of Sevens, who were about to debut.
“Director, what is this?”
“The new model for Samjeon Electronics.”
“Pardon?”
The surprised executive asked again, but everyone simply exchanged glances without speaking up easily.
“Why are you all so shocked? I had planned something with one of these kids before. I promised to use them as a model for Samjeon Electronics when they debuted. We even had it notarized through the company lawyer back then, so I can’t back out.”
“Director, even so, using an idol group that hasn’t been verified like this could embroil us in controversy over favoritism.”
“What’s wrong with being embroiled in favoritism controversy? To be honest, except for a few popular names in the advertising industry, most advertising model selections are determined by personal preference anyway, wouldn’t you say?”
“That’s true, but….”
“Look into what Samjeon Electronics products these kids can promote. Oh, and one of them has an older brother—he’s CEO Jeon Sung-guk.”
At that moment, a female employee raised her hand.
“Go ahead.”
“I heard that CEO Jeon Sung-guk debuted as a child in a Samjeon Electronics washing machine commercial. If we advertise that his younger brother inherited that commercial twenty years later, it could work really well.”
“That’s a great idea. Let’s move forward with that.”
“Yes!”
The employees left, and only Secretary Park Sung-hee remained in the conference room.
“By the way, Park Secretary.”
“Yes, Director.”
“According to Sung-guk, Sevens’ company hasn’t done any lobbying, so it’s hard to secure a debut stage. Let’s throw in some advertisements and make sure they get a solid debut stage.”
“Understood, Director. But may I ask why you’re helping Sung-guk and Min-guk so much?”
Jeon Tae-guk tilted his head.
“Something seems odd….”
“What is it?”
“Sung-guk isn’t even short on money, yet he’s not throwing money at the broadcasting station for lobbying… It’s strange that he’s making minimal investments.”
“I’ve thought about that too. CEO Jeon Sung-guk has become a global billionaire through FaceNote now. So why isn’t he investing in his younger brother’s career?”
“Well, when we were drinking yesterday, he said something about not wanting to teach his younger brother the easy way to succeed.”
Jeon Tae-guk remembered what Sung-guk had said when he was slightly drunk.
– Hyung, an idol group from a small entertainment company needs a narrative. Sevens needs to have that… Of course, having an older brother like me is also an important part of the narrative. But if Sevens appears in advertisements, you might face criticism right now, but in a few years, you’ll be praised as Samjeon’s successor with foresight.
Secretary Park Sung-hee looked at Jeon Tae-guk with a puzzled expression.
“Could it be something he said while drunk?”
“I’ve been watching Sung-guk for a long time. He never speaks carelessly. That’s why I’m making a bet—whether what Sung-guk said is true or not. And that female employee’s idea today was quite good, wasn’t it?”
“I thought so as well.”
“What’s that employee’s name?”
“Park So-hyun, an associate from the Planning Team.”
“Keep an eye on how this advertisement campaign develops. She seems like a sharp one.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Secretary Park Sung-hee left the conference room after finishing her meeting with Jeon Tae-guk.
For some reason, Jeon Tae-guk was finally beginning to exude the scent of a true successor.
* * *
“Sung-guk, aren’t you busy with company matters?”
“Of course I am. From morning until evening.”
“Then how do you have time to come to our company and review Min-guk’s debut plan?”
“It’s my younger brother’s matter too, isn’t it?”
Bang Mu-hyuk smiled slightly.
“You really are soft when it comes to your younger brothers.”
“I’m also an investor here. If I’ve invested, I can’t afford to lose money, can I?”
Bang Mu-hyuk handed over a proposal.
“Sung-guk, look at this. It’s an advertisement proposal from Samjeon.”
“A washing machine?”
[I wish they’d let him do something like a smartphone instead…]
It was disappointing, but a washing machine was better than nothing at this point.
“The concept is that your childhood commercial gets passed down to your younger brother twenty years later.”
“That’s a great concept.”
It was a drum washing machine now, not a top-loader, but the advertisement’s concept looked solid.
It was the commercial from twenty years ago where I crawled around and sniffed my sweaty father’s shirt, calling out “Dad?”
The members of Sevens would now be taking over that commercial.
Min-guk would hold the sweat-soaked laundry of the trainees and my shirt, then toss them into the drum washing machine.
Then my shirt would fall out, and Min-guk would sniff it and say “Hyung?” while the old commercial where I said “Dad?” would be inserted as a flashback.
– Twenty years ago, it was Samjeon washing machines. Today, it’s still Samjeon washing machines!
“I like the concept too.”
Bang Mu-hyuk was pleased with it as well.
“We should time the release of this commercial to come after their debut stage.”
“The kids are going to love this, aren’t they?”
“Tell them not to be satisfied with this. This is just one method to raise awareness. They need to earn recognition as singers on stage.”
“Actually, I had another project idea in mind…”
Bang Mu-hyuk broached the subject carefully.
The way he said “project idea” suggested it was something that would require money.
“What is it, sir?”
“Our Sevens concept is hip-hop idols, right? So I was thinking of going to the United States mainland, having them rap and perform music on the streets, and then uploading a short documentary of it to YouTube…”
[Bang Mu-hyuk didn’t come all this way for nothing.]
Bang Mu-hyuk’s idea looked quite promising.
“The concept is good.”
“Right… but the budget….”
Bang Mu-hyuk’s voice grew quieter the moment money came up.
“Sir, don’t worry. I should invest in a project with this much potential.”
Bang Mu-hyuk let out a relieved sigh and patted his chest.
“Sir, but there’s a condition.”
“A condition? What kind of condition?”
“What if we did this project on a shoestring budget?”
“A shoestring budget….”
“Economy class flights. Find the cheapest tickets possible, even if they have one or two layovers. They could sleep at the airport, and it would be great to show the members supporting each other through the process.”
“So it becomes a survival concept?”
I nodded.
“Sir, Sevens’ narrative is about a world-class idol group from a small entertainment company.”
“I know that, but… honestly, the narrative isn’t something we create. It’s something the fans create as the kids grow. I think that feels more natural.”
Bang Mu-hyuk had a point.
“You’re right, sir. And truthfully, we really don’t have much money right now.”
“That’s true. You’re the rich one. Our company is really struggling.”
“Then naturally, we have to shoot this video on an ultra-tight budget.”
“Fine. I got it.”
Bang Mu-hyuk smiled and patted my shoulder.
[Bang Mu-hyuk, I believe the entertainment business is about creating something from nothing. That’s why I’m going to invest minimally in Sevens and extract the maximum return. Don’t expect any special treatment just because my brother is in the group.]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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